


explain the rules of the game to a twelve-year-old OR draw 25

by Kirta



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, it's absolutely what the second half is, oh and yknow 'the morning report' scene in lion king?, the au bit is the fact that halbarad and boromir are not dead that's it, vague-as-all-hell minor au post-war of the ring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:55:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23644222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirta/pseuds/Kirta
Summary: Eldarion loses at cards and Aragorn has a suggestion. (Halbarad chooses 'draw 25')
Kudos: 12





	explain the rules of the game to a twelve-year-old OR draw 25

“I did warn you.”

“I know but-”

“Several times in fact.”

“Yeah but-”

“And so did your mother.”

Almost-sullen silence.

“Come to think of it, so did you sister, though she was probably just repeating what we were saying.”

Eldarion groaned and threw himself onto the couch. Aragorn didn’t look up from the book he was still pretending to read. 

“That’s not how you play the game!” Eldarion complained.

Aragorn tried his very best to keep a straight face. “It is in some places.”

“At least Uncle Boromir said something,” the indignant prince grumbled. “Uncle Halbarad just stacked five ‘draw’ cards on me at once. I didn’t even know you could do that!” Eldarion went on for several minutes longer before he at last ran out of steam and flopped against Aragorn.

“What exactly did your uncles get out of their victory?”

“Babysitting,” Eldarion said, in a tone of disgust Aragorn would have reserved for a troll den. Or certain court functions. Aragorn put a consolatory arm around Eldarion’s shoulders.

“I do not think it is within my power to keep you from that fate,” he said solemnly. Eldarion’s face fell. “But I can think of something that might make it seem less terrible.”

\-----

Two shadows crept through the dusk-lit halls of the Citadel.

“Let’s do Uncle Boromir first. He should be easy to get,” Eldarion whispered.

“Not as easy as you might expect,” Aragorn whispered back. There was no one around to hear them.

“Oh. What about Uncle Halbarad?”

“Exactly as difficult as you might expect.”

Eldarion was silent for a moment. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea…”

“I’m sure you will do admirably.”

They found Boromir on the gently curving stairs that led down to the inner courtyard. Eldarion hid himself in a shallow alcove shrouded by a sun-worn tapestry and waved his father towards another one across the way. Boromir’s footsteps approached. Slowed. Stopped.

“Hello, Eldarion.” A beat. “What are you doing?”

Eldarion burst from his hiding place, face pink. “But I was- you- that is, I was looking for Uncle Halbarad.”

“Behind the tapestry.”

Eldarion nodded. “He isn’t there. Have you seen him?”

Boromir hmmed. “I think he was in the gardens.” Eldarion nodded again, decisively, and ran off in the opposite direction.

“Boots?” Boromir twitched when Aragorn revealed himself.

“Boots,” he agreed. “Eldarion I can understand, but why are you skulking around?”

“Training,” Aragorn said, straight-faced.

“I see. Very important training, I assume?”

“The most important.”

“Well, I hope he has better luck with Halbarad.”

Aragorn cracked a smile. “If Eldarion manages it, Halbarad will never live it down.” Boromir’s laughter followed him down the stairs after Eldarion.

Halbarad was indeed in the gardens, perched on the back of a stone bench looking out over Minas Tirith and the Pelennor. He looked quite peaceful, and for a moment Aragorn almost felt bad about plotting to disturb him. Almost.

Eldarion crouched in the shadow of a large rosebush and looked to Aragorn, who nodded encouragingly and gestured towards Halbarad. Eldarion approached from behind on light feet and Aragorn caught himself nodding approvingly as he might have for any Dúnadan child back in the North. Eldarion made it within six feet of Halbarad and still there was no reaction. Aragorn watched him take a deep breath before shouting at the top of his lungs.

“ _HEY UNCLE HALBARAD!_ ”

Halbarad startled and overbalanced, toppling gracelessly into the grass with a string of creative curses. Aragorn laughed himself out of his hiding place while Eldarion grinned with pride and unashamed glee. Halbarad picked himself up with what dignity he could preserve (very little) and turned a baleful eye on the two of them. Aragorn slung an arm around Eldarion’s shoulders.

“Congratulations, Eldarion, you just snuck up on one of our most accomplished Rangers.” Eldarion beamed. Halbarad did not. 

“And after such a feat, I’m sure sneaking up on your father will be almost trivial by comparison.”

“Halbarad-” Aragorn started, but it was too late. Eldarion already had the light of a new plot in his eyes. Halbarad smiled at him, the picture of innocence. 

Aragorn sighed.

**Author's Note:**

> eldarion definitely lost the middle-earth version of uno, because he learned the rivendell rules from aragorn and arwen, but these rules are Not Valid anywhere else in middle-earth


End file.
